Steam-accumulator plant



y 8, 1930.; J. SMEKAL v1,770,256

' STEAM ACCUMULATOR PLANT Original Filed Dec. 31, 1924 IN ENORiJ -P'a'tented July 8, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOSE]? SM'EKAL, OF PRAG-UE SMICHOW, CZECHOSLOVAKIA STEAM-ACCUMULATOR PLANT Original application filed December 81, 1924, Serial No. 759,164, and in Germany November 9, 1928.

Divided and this application filed December 16', 1929. Serial No. 414,823.

This application is a division of my pending application 'SerialNo. 759,164, filed December 31st, 1924.

, The, invention relates to steam accumulator plants. The object ofv the invention is to provide a novel and efli'cient steam accumulator plant automatically controlled in a manner which will hereinafter appear and which gives etfioient equalization of steam,

. permitting ring of boilers at will and pro-,

viding hot water of uniform temperature for use in boilers or elsewhere. 1 One steam plant arrangement embodying the invention is disclosed on the accompany- 5 ing drawing and hereinafter described, it being understood that the invention may, be embodied in a variety of".piant arrangements v and structures." I

The nature and advanta es of theinvention will become apparent rom a consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing. e

On the accompanying drawing reference character 10 designates a steam boiler constituting a source of steam. Steam generated in' the boiler 10 passes into a conduit 11. Con duit ll supplies steam to a steam turbine 12. Supply of steam to steam turbine 12 is con- "speed responsive regulator 14, responsive to variations of speed of turbine 12.

A conduit 15 conducts steam from conduit :11 to an accu'mulator'16; Cold water is sup- 21 is supplied with steam through conduit 25,

which may be termed a back -pressure conduit, beingconnected at the exhaust end of the turbine. Condensate from heater 21 is so withdrawn at 26. I

' ducted to consumers 39 or by means of pump trolled by a'valve 13, in turn controlled by a plied to accumulator lti'tthrough a conduit.

'23. Condensate is withdrawn at 24. Heater Turbine 12 is shown as driving an electric generator 28. A low pressure consumer 29 is supplied with steam from conduit 30,

which is connected with conduit 25.

The supply of cold water to the accumulator is controlled by a valve 31 in conduit 20. Valve 31 is controlled by a' regulator 32, which is connected by a tube 33 to conduit 11. The arrangement is such that the in-- crease of pressure in conduit 11 causes an opening of. valye 31 and, conversely, a decrease of pressure in conduit 11 causes a clos-' ing of valve 31. I

Within conduit 15 is a valve 35, which is controlled by a regulator 36 in turn responsive to variations of temperature within the accumulator. To illustrate this, a thermostatic bulb 37 is shown projecting into the accumulator. The arrangement is such that on rise of temperature within the accumulator, valve 35 closesand on drop of temperature, valve 35 opens.

.Hot water is withdrawn from the accumulator through conduit 38 and may be con- 40 to the boiler 10.

The operation of the plant is as follows: Assume that there is flow of fluid through the various conduits. Assume that, for some reason, the pressure rises in conduit 11. This rise of pressure is transmitted through tube 33 and causes an opening or further opening of valve 31. This increases the. flow of cold water to the. accumulator. An increase of supply of cold water to. the accumulator 85,

causes a condensationof steam in increased amount and a consequent lowering of the temperature. This lowering of temperature is transmitted to regulator 36 by the bulb 37 and causes an opening or-further op'eningof valve 90 35 which admits more steam to'theaccumulator. The arrangement thus operates to maintain a constant temperature in the accumulator and to maintain a constant pressure in'conduit 11. It will be seen that the 9 boiler 10 can be fired independently of load conditions in the plant and that/excess steam 'generatedwillbe accumulated in the form of hot water in the accumulator. The hot water may be. withdrawn from. the accumulator as 1 desired independently of conditions of steam generation and steam consumption.

It the pressure in conduit 11 should fall, as

a result, for exa1nple, ofa wide opening of will rise whereupon valve 35 will he closed more or less and thesteam fl W restrict ed, thus building up the steam pressure inconduit 11 to the normal value. a

As used in the appended claim, the term source of steam may designate a boiler or any conduit of a steam plant capable of supplying steam.

\Vhat I claim is:

1. A steam plant comprising in combination, a source of steam, an accumulator, steam consuming means, means to conduct steam from said source to said accumulator and to said steam consuming means, means to supply cold Water to said accumulator to condense steam therein, means to control the supply of cold WZLtBIlZO the accumulator in ac cordance with variations of steam pressure in said source and operating to increase the supply of cold Water on rise of steam pressure, means to control the supply of steam to the accumulator operating on increase of temperature in the accumulator to decrease said supply of steam and means to withdraw,water from the accumulator for use:

2'. A steam plant comprising, in combina tion, a source of steam, an accumulator, steam Consuming means,'means to conduct steam from said source to said accumulator and to said steam consuming means, means to supply cold Water to condense steam supplied to the accumulator, means to control the supply of cold water in accordance with variations of steam pressure in said source and operating to increase the supply pf cold Water on rise of steam pressure, automatic means controlling the supply of the steam to the accumulator and operating to maintain a constant temperature of hot Water produced in the accumulator and means to Withdraw Water from the accumulator for use.

3. A steam-plant comprising, in combination, a source of steam, an accumulator, steam consuming means, means to conduct steam from said source to said accumulator and to said steam consuming means, means to supply cold water to condense steam supplied to the accumulator, means to control the supply of cold Water in accordance with variations of steam pressure in said source and operating to increase the supply of cold Water on rise of steam pressure, means operating in accordance with the variations in supply of cold water to control supply of steam to the accumulator and means to' Withdraw Water from the accumulator for use.

4:. A steam plant comprising, in combination, a source of steam, a power element supplied with steam from said source, an accumulator, Water heating means, means to conduct steam from said power element to said Water heating means, means to conduct relatively cold Water through said water heating means and to said accumulator, means to conduct steam from said source to said accumulator, means to control the flow of said cold Water in accordance with variations of steam pressure in said source and op erating to increase the rate of flow of Water on rise of steam pressure, means to control the supply of steam to the accumulator in accordance with variations in supply of cold Water and means to Withdraw Water from the accumulator for use.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

J OSEF SMEKAL. 

